— by Louisa Wood

The most recent addition to Frontiers in Environmental Science makes cutting edge research on biogeochemical cycling freely available through an open-access online platform. Led by Chief Editor Vera Slaveykova from University of Geneva, Biogeochemical Dynamics publishes original process-oriented and cross-disciplinary research that provides novel insights into the key interactions between the biological, geological and chemical components of the environment.

“By focussing on the Earth as a chemical system and exploring the interactions between biological, physical and geological components and their perturbations, Biogeochemical Dynamics provides vital knowledge – particularly in light of ongoing climate change and growing human pressure,” explains Vera Slaveykova. “Together with a dynamic team of Associate Editors, the specialty will explore new opportunities and shape the future of this exciting field of research.”

“As Chief Editor of Biogeochemical Dynamics in Frontiers in Environmental Sciences, my aim is to highlight cross-disciplinary and process oriented research that focuses on the interplay between element biogeochemical dynamics, global changes and human pressure in natural and human-dominated (agricultural and urbanized) environments,” she said.

In commenting on the scope of the research in this new specialty, Vera Slaveykova explained: “We welcome research that looks at understanding the biogeochemical dynamics of toxic elements and synthetic chemical substances, the effects of lags and legacies, and critical linkages and feedbacks with major nutrient cycles.”

In the blink of a geological eye, human activity has wrought changes to the Earth’s environment that are as significant as any known in the geological record. Human actions have acidified the oceans, altered the hydrological cycle, drained half of the world’s wetlands and changed biogeochemical flows. Biogeochemical Dynamics aims to understand these changes.

Biogeochemical Dynamics is now open for high-quality article submissions and welcomes Research Topic proposals. 

Frontiers journals have some of the highest citation rates. Among the world’s 20 largest publishers in 2017, Frontiers ranks 4th most-cited with an average of 3.65 citations per article.  In total, Frontiers articles have received more than 700,000 citations to date.